Sherman Hemsley

A postal worker by day, Sherman Hemsley studied acting at night until eventually landing the chance to show off his talents on the Broadway stage. Producer Norman Lear caught one of his performances a...
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Norman Lear planning All In the Family revamp

By:
WENN.com
Nov 20, 2014

Veteran TV writer and producer Norman Lear is in talks to revamp his classic sitcom All In The Family. The 92 year old broke ground with the 1970s show about working class bigot Archie Bunker and his family, tackling issues such as homosexuality, women's rights and racism at a time when such topics were considered too controversial for TV audiences.
Lear admits he has concerns about how much censorship a modern-day Bunker, previously played by late actor Carroll O'Connor, would face from TV executives, but he is willing to try with a new incarnation of the character.
He tells U.S. news network MSNBC, "I think the character would survive on a TV show today (but) I'm told by show runners that a lot of the subjects we touched, we can't touch today.
"Let me put it this way: we're gonna try again... We're talking about doing something about All in the Family 2015. (An) entirely different family, but... (similar characters), 2015 versions, a modern version."
The original All in the Family ran from 1971 to 1979, while a spin-off, titled Archie Bunker's Place, aired until 1983.
Lear is also known for producing other hit 1970s shows, including Sanford and Son and other All in the Family spin-offs Maude, Good Times and The Jeffersons, which starred the late Sherman Hemsley.

Beloved U.S. TV star Sherman Hemsley will be able to rest in peace after Texas officials ruled his half-brother cannot dig up the late actor's remains and re-bury him in Pennsylvania. Hemsley, who died in July, 2012 at the age of 74, was eventually laid to rest by his business manager and "beloved partner" Flora Enchinton Bernal in El Paso, Texas, amid a battle over his remains between her and Richard Thornton, who shared a father with the actor.
As Hemsley's bona-fide next of kin, Thornton was given authority over the actor's remains and announced he wanted to have the star's body taken from a funeral home in El Paso to be buried in his home state of Pennsylvania, but Bernal, who applied to probate the will, buried Hemsley.
Thornton has been fighting ever since to exhume the body and bury his brother in Pennsylvania, but officials at a Texas appeals court have now ruled, "Our decision could not have any practical legal effect on the existing controversy because interment has already taken place."

Lincoln star Day-Lewis virtually locked in his Best Actor Oscar by securing the SAG accolade for his portrayal of assassinated U.S. President Abraham Lincoln, while Jennifer Lawrence bounced back from a bout of pneumonia to collect the best Female Actor in a Leading Role title for her Academy Award-nominated turn in comedy drama Silver Linings Playbook.
Supporting actor accolades went to Tommy Lee Jones for historical epic Lincoln and Anne Hathaway for the critically-acclaimed movie musical Les Miserables, and Argo director Ben Affleck also celebrated another big win for best cast.
In the TV categories, Bryan Cranston claimed the Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series prize for what he branded "the role of my career" in Breaking Bad; Claire Danes picked up the female version for Homeland, and there was a double victory for 30 Rock as Alec Baldwin and Tina Fey earned the top comedy actor prizes.
The longrunning career of beloved veteran Dick Van Dyke was marked with the Lifetime Achievement honour, while an in memoriam segment paid tribute to a whole host of stars lost in the past year, including George Lindsey, Larry Hagman, Whitney Houston, Gary Collins, Jack Klugman, Conrad Bain, Celeste Holm, Sherman Hemsley, Michael Clark Duncan, Charles Durning, Davy Jones, Dick Clark and Ernest Borgnine.
The full list of winners at the 19th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards is:
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role - Daniel Day-Lewis (Lincoln)
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role - Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook)
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role - Tommy Lee Jones (Lincoln)
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role - Anne Hathaway (Les Miserables)
Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture - Argo
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries - Kevin Costner (Hatfields &amp; McCoys)
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries - Julianne Moore (Game Change)
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series - Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad)
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series - Claire Danes (Homeland)
Outstanding Ensemble in a Drama Series - Downton Abbey
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series - Alec Baldwin (30 Rock)
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series - Tina Fey (30 Rock)
Outstanding Ensemble in a Comedy Series - Modern Family
Lifetime Achievement Award - Dick Van Dyke

1. A slew of stars were given the honour of carrying the Olympic torch on its tour around the U.K. over the summer, but not everyone was granted the opportunity to run with the flame ahead of the London 2012 Games - who missed out on the occasion?
a. Daniel Radcliffe
b. Sir Patrick Stewart
c. James McAvoy
2. Which country was Tom Cruise filming in when Katie Holmes filed for divorce?
a. France
b. Iceland
c. Canada
3. Which Baldwin brother took legal action against Kevin Costner amid allegations he was cheated out of profits after selling his shares in an oil filtering business?
a. Daniel
b. Alec
c. Stephen
4. In August, actress Jennifer Aniston got engaged to Justin Theroux, her co-star in which movie?
a. Horrible Bosses
b. Wanderlust
c. He's Just Not That Into You
5. Saucy summer blockbuster Magic Mike was based on which actor's real-life experiences as a stripper?
a. Joe Manganiello
b. Matthew McConaughey
c. Channing Tatum
6. In July, actress Kristen Stewart confessed to an "indiscretion" with the director of which of her films?
a. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2
b: Snow White and the Huntsman
c. The Runaways
7. Which celebrity couple got married in 2012 without first getting engaged?
a. Anne Hathaway and Adam Shulman
b. Natalie Portman and Benjamin Millepied
c. Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds
8. Actress Kristin Chenoweth was critically injured on the set of which hit U.S. TV show last summer?
a. Glee
b. The Good Wife
c. Hot in Cleveland
9. What is the name of the actor Sienna Miller welcomed her first child with in 2012?
a) Jude Law
b) Tom Sturridge
c) Rhys Ifans
10. Sally Field had to beg Steven Spielberg for an audition to play Abraham Lincoln's wife Mary Todd in the critically acclaimed biopic Lincoln. Why?
a) She was too old
b) She was too fat
c) She was too famous
11. What was the name of Daniel Radcliffe's first feature film release of 2012 following the end of the Harry Potter franchise?
a. The Lady in Red
b. The Woman in Black
c. Lady Jane Grey
12. Which famous British actor took on a starring role in the London 2012 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony reciting verses from William's Shakespeare's The Tempest?
a. Hugh Grant
b. Rowan Atkinson
c. Kenneth Branagh
13. Which Hollywood star married actor Adam Shulman in California in September?
a. Natalie Portman
b. Miley Cyrus
c. Anne Hathaway
14. Halle Berry lost a bitter custody battle with her ex-boyfriend Gabriel Aubry over their daughter in November. What is their child's name?
a. Nahla
b. Simba
c. Naomi
15. This Hollywood hunk can normally be found fighting for a good cause but in 2012 he was chosen as the rather unusual frontman for Chanel's signature fragrance, Chanel No5. Who is he?
a. Brad Pitt
b. Colin Farrell
c. George Clooney
16. Which actress despaired that she 'looked like her gay brother' after an extreme transformation for a movie role?
a. Penelope Cruz
b. Anne Hathaway
c. Jennifer Lawrence
17. Which actress named her new baby daughter Rosalind Arusha Arkadina Altalune Florence?
a. Tina Fey
b. Uma Thurman
c. Jemima Kirke
18. Which British royal was hospitalised during the celebrations for Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee?
a. Charles, Prince of Wales
b. Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
c. Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge
19. Which TV legend was laid to rest four months after losing his battle with cancer?
a. Sherman Hemsley
b. Dick Clark
c. Larry Hagman
20. What is the name of the 2012 Bond movie?
a. Skyscraper
b. Skyfall
c. Skylander
21. Jennifer Lawrence played the lead role in movie hit The Hunger Games. What was her character's name?
a. Katniss
b. Katnip
c. Katbliss
22. Which film won the Oscar for Best Picture?
a. Moneyball
b. The Artist
c. Hugo
23. Which film star did NOT get married in 2012?
a. Matthew McConaughey
b. Daniel Craig
c. Anne Hathaway
24. British actress Carey Mulligan married which member of musical group Mumford and Sons in April?
a. Marcus Mumford
b. Ben Lovett
c. Ted Dwane
25. Name the only surviving member of the original cast of Dallas who was not part of the hit TV drama's 2012 reboot.
a. Charlene Tilton
b. Steve Kanaly
c. Victoria Principal
26. Which veteran porn star has been immortalised in two movie biopics due out this year?
a. Linda Lovelace
b. Ron Jeremy
c. Sasha Grey
27. Which moody movie star was dramatically rescued by coast guard workers after becoming stranded during a kayaking trip off the coast of New York in September?
a. Colin Farrell
b. Dustin Hoffman
c. Russell Crowe
28. Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese joined forces again in 2012 to shoot their fifth movie project - but what is the name of the new film, due for release this year?
a. The Beast of Broadway
b. The Monster of Manhattan
c. The Wolf of Wall Street
29. Which movie won the coveted Palme d'Or prize at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival?
a. Amour
b. Cosmopolis
c. The Paperboy
30. In November, movie hardman Sylvester Stallone launched a stage musical version of which of his famous film franchises?
a. Rambo
b. Rocky
c. The Expendables
1. a
2. b
3. c
4. b
5. c
6. b
7. c
8. b
9. b
10. a
11. b
12. c
13. c
14. a
15. a
16. b
17. b
18. b
19. a
20. b
21. a
22. b
23. b
24. a
25. c
26. a
27. c
28. c
29. a
30. b

Death is a natural part of life. Without one, the other cannot exist. And in 2012, many heavyweights of the entertainment world were lost. Sometimes death can be a moment to mourn those we've lost, but also celebrate their achievements.
Perhaps the most notable death of 2012 was that of Whitney Houston. Houston passed away at age 48 in February of this year, and with her the world mourned. Houston was a true icon in every sense of the word: her voice was like none other in the world, and her death served as a wake-up call to the real dangers of narcotics. It is said that "despite her past personal troubles, she still became one of the most successful and award-winning female artists of all time." Whether on-screen in The Bodyguard and Sparkle, or on-stage at the Grammy Awards, Houston made every moment shine with her golden vocal chords, and her loss will be felt far beyond her 48 years of life.
In August we lost iconic and barrier-breaking female comedian Phyllis Diller. Diller was "often cited as a pioneer of comedy, helping establish women in Hollywood as legitimate stand-up talent." Her work as a female comedian started "in radio in the 50s, before leveraging the appearances into television spots and a full touring career." A feat, no doubt, impressive at any time, but especially while Diller was doing it. During the 60s, Diller starred alongside Bob Hope in 23 television specials and three films.
Another female icon gone too soon was Nora Ephron, a woman who wore many hats, including director, writer, journalist, and more in her impressive career. In our obituary for Ephron, we discussed the "surprisingly diverse and fantastic career," of hers, one "with nary a creative miss on her IMDb page." She wrote and directed some of the most classic romantic comedies out there, including Sleepless in Seattle, You've Got Mail, and Julie &amp; Julia, Heartburn, and When Harry Met Sally. "What separated Ephron from her counterparts was not only her distinct sense of humor, but the way that she could create original, complex female characters and put them in traditional movies without making them seem simple or pandering." It is a universal truth that the name Nora Ephron "was a hallmark of the quality that she brought to all of her work."
Hero to space nerds and humans everywhere was Neil Armstrong, who lost a battle with complications from a heart bypass surgery in August. His first steps on the moon were "one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind" even though, in the end, Armstrong fancied himself "a reluctant American hero who always believed he was just doing his job."
A shocking loss was the unexpected death of Green Mile actor Michael Clarke Duncan, who was especially known for his booming voice and hulking stature. But not only that, Duncan was a comedy man. "Duncan's comedic timing coupled with his action-star prowess made him a staple in other films," including Daredevil, a remake of Planet of the Apes, Sin City and animated kids' film Kung-Fu Panda.
One of the longest-running careers in Hollywood was cut short in July when Ernest Borgnine passed away. The charismatic 95-year-old had a career that spanned decades. Six, in fact, "making him an icon of the business, beloved and respected by many." He was mostly-known for his work as a character actor, where "Borgnine made the Hollywood scene his playground, making a name for himself with generally villainous roles. His career-bucking role as a lovelorn butcher in 1955’s Marty won him an Oscar for Best Actor." Other highlights of his career included 1953's From Here to Eternity, and his long-standing run on TV's McHale’s Navy as the title character Quinton McHale.
Author and political and gay activist Gore Vidal left us in July, and with him an iconic voice of truth-telling and honesty in writing. From the plays (and screenplays) of Paris is Burning to his work on Ben-Hur, "Vidal was considered many things outside of his writerly pursuits" and one of his most famous works, The City and the Pillar, is said to be one of the first mainstream American novels to feature overtly gay characters at its center." It was so controversial at the time that The New York Times refused to review it in 1948. His passion for Hollywood and his interests never wained.
Another author, Ray Bradbury lost his life in 2012. Best known for works like Fahrenheit 451, The Martian Chronicles, Something Wicked This Way Comes, and The Illustrated Man, "Bradbury gained notoriety around the world as one the 20th century's most important voices in science fiction."
In May, the children's literature world lost the iconic creator of Where The Wild Things Are, Maurice Sendak, the wildly imaginative voice of growing up everywhere. He was considered "a defining voice in children's literature as both an author and illustrator."
This December, we lost Jenni Rivera, the world-renowned Mexican-American singer and reality star. Rivera had "a wildly popular career as a singer and reality-television star and has sold over 20 million albums worldwide in addition to her mun2 reality series I Love Jenni." Millions of fans the world over mourned her untimely passing in a plane crash. Other iconic musicians to leave too soon included the and-you-don't-stop, intergalatic party-rights-fighter Adam Yauch of The Beastie Boys lost his battle with cancer in May. Fans the world over mourned the shocking loss of such a huge player in music and movies, as his Oscilloscope Laboratories is "now one of the most important distributors in the film landscape."
These two heavyweights weren't the only losses in music, which also included such big names as "sitar master and Oscar winner" Ravi Shankar, The Monkees' own lead dreamboat and television star Davy Jones, The BeeGees' founding member Robin Gibb, and At Last crooner Etta James. All of whom made huge marks within their respective genres. The loss of disco diva Donna Summer after a battle with cancer also shook the music world to its core.
In a tragic turn of events, director Tony Scott took his own life in August. Scott "rose to prominence in the 80s with Top Gun and Beverly Hills Cop II," He had recently co-produced the summer's alien blockbuster Prometheus with his brother," as well as several TV production credits including The Good Wife and NUMB3RS.
Others, including television actors Jack Klugman and William Windom of The Odd Couple and Murder, She Wrote also passed on in the past year. The men were 90 and 88, respectively. Dallas star Larry Hagman died of cancer complications in November, leaving behind a career that included I Dream of Jeannie, numerous stage productions, and several films like 1972's The Blob, and Oliver Stone's Nixon and Primary Colors. The comedian and actor Sherman Hemsley — star of movin' on up The Jeffersons passed away in July.
Sesame Street also lost two of its performers, director Emily Squires and puppeteer Jerry Nelson. Tom Cruise's mother in Risky Business, Janet Carroll also lost a lengthy battle with illness in May.
In the end, death will always be what comes after life, but the contributions of those we lost this year will reverberate within the industry for years and years to come. May they all rest in peace.
[Photo Credit: CHP/FameFlynet Pictures; Frazer Harrison/Getty Images; Carrie Devorah/WENN; Joseph Marzullo/WENN; WENN]
Follow Alicia on Twitter @alicialutes
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Video clips of the funnyman in his best-known role as George Jefferson were shown at the service held in the Cielo Vista Church in El Paso, Texas.
A symbolic dove was then released as Hemsley, who served four years in the United States Air Force, was interred at the Fort Bliss National Cemetery.
The actor passed away of lung cancer on 24 July (12) but his burial was delayed and his body kept at a funeral home while the courts considered a dispute over his estate.
His longtime friend Flora Enchinton Bernal said after the burial ceremony, "The best way I can describe it is by how we released a dove. Just set him free, let him be. Let him explore the universe, be one with the universe."
Bernal was listed as a benefactor in Hemsley's will, but the late TV legend's half-brother challenged it. A judge declared the document valid earlier this month (Nov12).

The Jeffersons star passed away on 24 July (12) after a battle with lung cancer, but his memorial service was delayed and his body was held at a funeral home while the courts ruled on a dispute over his will.
A judge in El Paso, Texas decided on 9 November (12) that the star's will is valid and gave permission for Hemsley's benefactor, his longtime friend/manager Flora Enchinton Bernal, to go ahead with funeral plans.
It has now been revealed that Hemsley will be remembered at Cielo Vista Church in El Paso on Wednesday and the service will be open to the public, according to TheWrap.com.
Hemsley will be buried at Fort Bliss National Cemetery to mark his years served in the United States Air Force before he took up acting.

The Jeffersons star passed away in Texas after a battle with lung cancer, but his memorial service was delayed and his body was held at a funeral home while the courts ruled on a dispute over his will.
A judge in El Paso, Texas decided on Friday (09Nov12) that the star's will is valid and gave permission for Hemsley's benefactor, his longtime friend/manager Flora Enchinton Bernal, to finally go ahead with funeral plans.
Bernal's attorney Alexander Neill has now revealed the star will be given a military funeral and laid to rest at Fort Bliss National Cemetery in El Paso in tribute to his years served in the United States Air Force before he took up acting.
Neill tells U.S. website Foxnews.com, "My client is planning on a military funeral for Mr. Hemsley at Fort Bliss National Cemetery here in El Paso. Mr. Hemsley previously served in the United States Air Force and thus is eligible for a military funeral."
It is not yet known when the memorial service will take place.

The Jeffersons star died in Texas after a battle with lung cancer and his body was held at a funeral home while the courts ruled on a dispute between Richard Thornton, who claimed to be Hemsley's brother, and an associate named in his will.
Hemsley named his friend/manager Flora Enchinton Bernal as sole beneficiary of his estate, which is estimated to be worth around $50,000 (£31,250), but Thornton contested the will.
The case went back to court in El Paso, Texas on Friday (09Nov12) and Judge Patricia B. Chew ruled the actor's will to be valid.
During the hearing at El Paso County Court, Judge Chew also gave Enchinton Bernal permission to go ahead with plans to lay the actor to rest.

Richard Thornton alleges he is The Jeffersons star's sibling and should be entitled to cash in on his approximately $50,000 (£31,250) inheritance, which was left to the actor's longtime manager, Flora Enchinton, following his death this summer (12).
And on Monday (24Sep12) Judge Patricia Chew instructed Thornton to prove his family connection and turn over the laboratory results by 15 October (12) before the case can proceed.
A new court date has been set for 31 October (12).
Hemsley lost his battle with lung cancer on 24 July (12), aged 74.

Reprised George Jefferson role with a guest appearance on TBS sitcom "House of Payne"

Starred as dry cleaning store owner George Jefferson on the spin-off series "The Jeffersons" (CBS)

Voiced himself on the animated series "Family Guy" (Fox)

Cast by Norman Lear on the sitcom "All in the Family" (CBS) in recurring role of the Bunker family's neighbor George Jefferson

Appeared off-Broadway in "The People vs. Ranchman"

Voiced the title character on a pilot of "Mister Ed," a remake of the 1960s talking-horse sitcom that aired on CBS

Cast as the Mouse in CBS adaptation of "Alice in Wonderland"

Made TV debut on local Philadelphia comedy series "Black Book"

Landed a recurring role opposite Will Smith on the NBC comedy "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air"

Made film debut in vampire comedy "Love at First Bite"

Summary

A postal worker by day, Sherman Hemsley studied acting at night until eventually landing the chance to show off his talents on the Broadway stage. Producer Norman Lear caught one of his performances and immediately tapped him to play the irascible George Jefferson on "All in the Family" (CBS, 1971-79) and "The Jeffersons" (CBS, 1975-1985). Hemsley's high-voltage, sometimes controversial performance, which earned him several award nominations, was popular with television audiences, but it also left him irrevocably typecast; he essentially played close variations on the grouchy, racist Jefferson in his subsequent series, "Amen" (NBC, 1986-1991) and "Goode Behavior" (UPN, 1996-97), as well as countless TV guest spots. By the late-1990s, he was making regular appearances in commercials and promotions with his former "Jeffersons" TV wife Isabel Sanford, as well as in a play based on the series. But despite never veering too far from the irascible George Jefferson persona, there was no denying his impact as a man who broke boundaries as an African-American character who was "movin' on up" in a white man's world, as well as an off-screen African-American actor who conquered the white man's medium of 1970s sitcoms like no other.<p>Born Feb. 1, 1938 in Philadelphia, PA, Hemsley was raised by his mother and dropped out of school to join the Air Force, where he served for four years. He later took a job with the United States Post Office while studying acting at night. Hemsley eventually became a member of the prestigious Negro Ensemble Company, continuing his studies at the Philadelphia Academy of Dramatic Arts. He remained with the Post Office even after a move to New York, and finally earned his big break on Broadway with a supporting role as Gitlow in the 1970 Tony-winning musical "Purlie." Hemsley would reprise the role for a 1981 version that aired on Showtime. More stage work followed, including the 1973 play "Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope." Producer Norman Lear happened to catch Hemsley's performance in the play and cast him as George Jefferson, neighbor to Archie Bunker (Carroll O'Connor) on 15 episodes of "All in the Family." A successful businessman who was also bigoted, loud-mouthed, and unafraid to bully anyone who did not agree with him, Jefferson was designed to present a black character that was as offensive as Archie, and the verbal fireworks that incurred whenever the two characters met were among the funniest and most charged episodes in the series. Initially, Jefferson was discussed but not seen on "All in the Family," and Archie's arguments were usually conducted with his brother, Henry (Mel Stuart). This was due to the fact that Hemsley was committed to a stage play and could not sign on with the series until it ran its course. Once the show ended in 1973, George took over as Archie's chief antagonist, and continued to make appearances on the show until 1975.<p>Lear saw that an "All in the Family" style show built around the Jeffersons might achieve the same degree of success, and so he pulled Hemsley, Isabel Sanford (as his wife Louise "Weezie" Jefferson), and Mike Evans (as their son Lionel) from the Bunker series and cast them in "The Jeffersons." The series saw George and family trade their home in Queens for a penthouse apartment on the Upper East Side of Manhattan thanks to his successful dry cleaning business. However, the move did little to decrease George's temper; if anything, he found himself surrounded on all sides from Louise, smart-mouthed maid Florence (Marla Gibbs), and their neighbors, Tom and Helen Willis (Franklin Cover and Roxie Roker), the first interracial couple on network television. Much of the show's humor centered on Hemsley's explosive reactions - including liberal uses of the word "honkey" - to the other characters, though like Archie Bunker, he could be counted on to hatch some hair-brained schemes and bluster his way out of them when they failed. Occasionally, he even found time to get along with his wife and neighbors, though George and Florence could never see eye to eye.<p>The series debuted to modest ratings in 1975 but grew in popularity over the next few seasons, eventually breaking the Top 30 in its second and third seasons. Hemsley himself shared much of the critical praise for the show with Sanford, and earned a 1982 Image Award for his performance, as well as a 1984 Emmy nomination and a 1985 Golden Globe nod. The show took up much of his time, and he remained largely inactive outside of it, save for a supporting role as a preacher in the horror-comedy "Love at First Bite" (1979) and several appearances on variety shows of the day, including a hosting stint on "Saturday Night Live" (NBC, 1975- ) in 1976. As with Archie Bunker, much of the fire in George Jefferson was tempered in later seasons, which eventually declined in popularity. The show was unceremoniously canceled by CBS in 1985 without even airing a final episode; reportedly, Hemsley found out about the show's demise by reading the daily trades.<p>Hemsley's popularity as George Jefferson made him an attractive prospect for networks seeking a top-rated star for their new series, so in 1986, NBC hired him as the star of "Amen," a sitcom set at an African-American church in Philadelphia, PA. As the Reverend Ernest Frye, Hemsley was less prone to make incendiary statements, but the character's capacity for butting heads with others - in this case, Clifton Davis as the handsome new pastor with an eye for Frye's daughter (Anna Maria Horsford) - and for cooking up outrageous schemes. Though nowhere near as groundbreaking or outrageous as "The Jeffersons" in its heyday, "Amen" was a popular comedy with viewers and one of several successful African-American comedies on NBC's docket during the late-1980s. Having experienced lightning striking twice in his career, Hemsley attempted to branch out and see if his popularity would carry him over to films. However, the results were spectacularly awful; "Stewardess School" (1986) and "Camp Fed" (1990) were limp, humorless affairs, and "Ghost Fever" (1987) was such a stunning embarrassment that the director (Lee Madden) took his name off the project. Hemsley later kept his extracurricular projects to a minimum until "Amen" ran its course in 1991.<p>Hemsley worked steadily through the 1990s in a variety of television projects. Reruns of "The Jeffersons" served as a reminder of his comic potential, but also assured that he would rarely play characters with temperaments beyond that of George or Ernest Frye. He voiced a triceratops that made life miserable for the hero of Jim Henson's puppet show-comedy "Dinosaurs" (ABC, 1991-94), and made semi-regular appearances on "Family Matters" (CBS, 1989-1998) as police officer Carl Winslow's (Reginald Veljohnson) superior officer. The fledgling network UPN tapped Hemsley to play a con artist who must live under house arrest with his son in "Goode Behavior." However, the program, which was one of the last to be produced by the legendary MTM Enterprises, did not catch on with audiences and was brought to a close after only a season.<p>By the mid- to late-1990s, Hemsley was still landing regular work on television, including recurring roles on "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" (NBC, 1990-96) and "Sister, Sister" (ABC/The WB, 1994-99). His "Jeffersons" past, however, was never far behind, and he began appearing with Sanford in a series of amusing ads for Denny's restaurants and the Old Navy clothing line which attempted to generate the same sassy sparks they produced as a married couple on the series. Both actors also reunited with many of their "Jeffersons" co-stars for a theatrical version of the show, which toured extensively and even reached Broadway for a brief period of time. Sanford passed away in 2004, which brought an end to their lucrative collaborations.<p>Hemsley's output appeared to slow down after the new millennium; there were recurring appearances on "The Hughleys" (ABC/UPN, 1998-2002) and a failed pilot which attempted to revive "Mr. Ed" (CBS, 1961-66) with Hemsley as the voice of the famous talking horse. But for the most part, he appeared satisfied with resting on the laurels of his well-loved acting legacy as he reached his seventh decade. He did continue to work, however, voicing himself in an episode of "Family Guy" (Fox, 1999- ) while appearing on the last season of the reality series "The Surreal Life" (VH1, 2003-06). Following a role as a pastor in the direct-to-DVD release "American Pie: The Book of Love" (2009), Hemsley reprised George Jefferson with a guest appearance on "Tyler Perry's House of Payne" (TBS, 2007- ). That episode proved to be his final screen role, as Hemsley died on July 24, 2012 in his El Paso, TX home reportedly of natural causes. He was 74 years old, and left behind no wife or children.